By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Former Chicago Cubs right-hander Ryan Dempster, who pitched for parts of 16 major league seasons, will be inducted into the B.C. Sports of Hall of Fame in Vancouver on Thursday.

The Gibsons, B.C., native will be part of a 2018 inductee class that will include four other athletes: Josh Dueck (para-alpine skiing), Glen Jackson (football), Cliff Ronning (hockey) and Marielle Thompson (skiing).

Dempster visited the sports hall on Wednesday in advance of the induction ceremony.

A two-time all-star, Dempster amassed 132 wins during his big league career that began with the Florida Marlins in 1998. The versatile righty, who also toed the rubber for the Cincinnati Reds, Cubs, Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox, won 10 or more games in a season eight times. In 2005, he was converted into a closer for the Cubs and he proceeded to save at least 24 games in each of the next three seasons.

Dempster's finest big league campaign was in 2008 when he posted a 17-6 record and a 2.96 ERA in 33 starts and finished sixth in the National League Cy Young voting. The durable Canadian also earned a World Series ring when he registered a 4.57 ERA in 32 appearances, including 29 starts, with the Boston Red Sox in 2013.

Dempster ranks near the top in most all-time pitching categories amongst Canadian big leaguers. He sits second among Canucks in wins (132), strikeouts (2,075), starts (351) and innings pitched (2,387) and fourth in pitching appearances (579) and saves (87).